The Coming Storm
by ARealBloodDrinker
Summary: Naruto, the new wielder of the blade Kubikiribōchō, sets out on a journey throughout the ninja world with his friends, new and old. However, the ninja world is only just beginning it's descent into darker times, and soon the coming storm will be upon them. These four must brave the storm to protect all they hold dear. The battle is just over the horizon, and they must prepare.


**_A/N: Consider this an ALTERNATE NARUTO UNIVERSE (Including Time's Remorse)!_**

* * *

**Showdown in the Waves!  
The Training Mission!**

* * *

In a realm closed off to all beings but the God of Death, the Shinigami stood before his altar, gazing at the events of his universe.

**"So, the Uchiha succeeded. I am glad I made the right choice regarding him. His second chance is a great one considering the circumstances."**

He turned away from his world and began to proceed to the agonizing screams of ones who had the terrible luck to be tortured by him. However, his resolve waivered tremendously as the ripples in the timeline seemed to transfer through an unknown space. Whole parallel universes were shaken by some event, and this first time occurrence shocked the Shinigami as he followed the trail.

Soon, he found himself in an apparition-like form as he floated above the Shinigami of another world. The worlds' Shinigami seemed to also be taking interest in the change of events in the realm of the living. As he further inspected other Shinigamis' universes, he found the same thing occurring through all of them: a single event that changed throughout all of them.

**"So,"** The original Shinigami started, **"It appears Sasuke's acts in my universe have had a ripple effect on every other universe somehow. They all possess some positive interaction concerning the Uchiha, but many see a new result different from the others. How interesting. However, it is not my place to intrude on these universes' Shinigami, so I shall return to my place."** The Shinigami slowly faded out of the existence of this realm as he returned to his own.

With that, we are left with a new deity of death. The Shinigami of this realm currently stood bewildered at the stream currently passing through his realm and into the living realm. It was a one time in eternity occurrence. He had foreseen the world's events himself and believed they would be unavoidable. However, this new factor was changing everything he had foreseen into an element he could no longer predict. It could branch off in so many ways, end in so many different ones, that every situation became as likely as the next. It seemed only time would tell in this world.

* * *

A tall man proceeded to walk through the thickly wooded forested. His destination was close, and his mission was simple, it success almost guaranteed with the presence of his companion. The bandages on the lower part of his face were held in place ever so comfortably. His eyes seemed cold and ready to kill. Coming upon his destination, he removed his zanbato and readied himself for his work.

"Haku, you know what to do." The man's partner nodded to him in approval. The person wore a mask concealing their identity with the symbol for Kirigakure engraved on the mask. They had long black hair, along with their battle garb.

"Yes. I will provide support should you need it once the bridge builder appears." Haku replied.

The bridge builder Tazuna was a brave man, and would be considered a hero should his project succeed. This man, however, was hunted by the business man Gato, and the man was hired to kill the old bridge builder. However, despite the poverty Wave lived in, Tazuna had hired a team of ninja to protect him. While the team was a mere genin team, their commander was none other than Kakashi, the Copy Cat ninja, otherwise known as Kakashi of the Sharingan. While Kakashi had indeed impressed this man, his genin team was also a wonder. The black haired child worked with his blonde teammate to save their sensei and succeeded. However, it was the latter bright haired child that intrigued him.

'_So passionate, able to make a plan in the heat of battle. The other brat may have been a part of it, but most of it was his blonde friend's idea. That level of skill at his age. It's truly remarkable. Too bad I'll have to kill them._' He thought.

The man returned to the scene before him. Construction workers attempting to simply make a gateway to the rest of the world to avoid the wrath of a tyrant. The act was courageous and noble. Yet here he was, the man who would have to end their dreams for money. This was how the world worked. He did not wish to work for the criminal, nor kill these men seeking salvation from Gato's tirade. However, if he did not do it, he could not finance his operations. His plans would never come to fruition and Kirigakure would remain in turmoil.

"Oh, well." Zabuza stated as he prepared with a hand sign. "Time to get to work."

* * *

Team Seven awoke to an early morning in the Wave Country. To hear from their Sensei one week ago that the fearsome killer and nuke-nin Zabuza Momochi, or as he was better known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist. The team groggily began to make their way to the dining area of their employer Tazuna's house. The bridge builder called upon the ninja for the specific case of protecting him, though had lied about the actual difficulty. Much to his relief, the team continued on their way, to Wave. Through enemy ninja and an encounter with the demon himself, they still stayed to continue to protect him.

In the dining room, three of Team Seven's four members arrived in the room.

"Hey, Sasuke, where's Naruto?" Sakura asked. Her raven haired teammate looked at her and Kakashi before replying.

"The dobe is still sleeping like a rock. While I was tempted to wake him up, it's not my fault if he misses breakfast." Sasuke replied.

"Now, now, Sasuke, no reason to get all cold hearted." Kakashi said. "I suggest we allow Naruto to sleep. If he doesn't get as much sleep as he can, then he will probably be tired during the mission, and we need everyone at one hundred percent today."

"Tch. Fine, but if he starts complaining that we left without him, I can't be held responsible for my actions." Sasuke replied.

"I want to thank you all again for following through with the mission." Tazuna said, bowing. "You could have let me go at it alone and saved yourselves the trouble of protecting me, but you stuck with it. Thank you for everything."

"I thank you as well." Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, added. "My father would stand no chance against Gato and his thugs without you four." Kakashi, for his part, seemed to take the modest approach of things.

"There's no need to thank us really, it's just our jobs." He said.

"Yeah, we'd do anything we could to help you and the people of Wave!" Sakura added, while Sasuke provided his own positive grunt.

Tsunami and Tazuna smiled at the three. The truth of the matter was that if this mission was indeed a success, then they would be forever indebted to the Shinobi for their work. With the final words spoken, the group went back to their modest breakfast. Soon, the group finished the meal and they set out for the bridge, unaware of the danger they would face upon arrival.

As they neared the construction site, Kakashi felt something was amiss. At the moment, he should have been hearing the workers hard at work, their sweat and effort being punctuated by the sounds of machinery and striking hammers. However, his ears met with utter silence. The air was thicker here, as well. It was almost as if the tension was physical, though he knew it was more than likely the Hidden Mist Jutsu. As the bridge came into view, the group was met with a site they couldn't quite comprehend. All the workers had been knocked out, a few slightly bleeding from abrasions caused by the cement below them.

"What happened here?" Sakura looked on in horror at the battlefield. Someone had been powerful enough to take on an entire bridge filled with workers and handled it with what appeared to be ease, if the knocked out builders were anything to go by.

"So, Kakashi Hatake, you finally showed up." The mist, while not thick as of yet, seemed to carry the voice all around them and hide the direction of the noise. It wasn't until Zabuza Momochi landed nearly thirty feet in front of them on the very bridge they arrived at that his presence was confirmed.

"Zabuza. I knew you weren't dead." Kakashi said.

Next to Zabuza stood the hunter-nin from one week ago. Obviously his ally, for Zabuza to have teamed up with them must have meant they were indeed a formidable opponent.

"Well, my suspicions were correct after all. That hunter-nin is a fraud." Kakashi stated.

"Fraud or not, I serve Zabuza-sama. I am his weapon to command, and I will destroy you." The hunter-nin said.

Zabuza let his killing intent wash over the soon to be battlefield and watched the genins' reactions. The pink haired genin was visibly shaken and perturbed by the feeling, while the raven haired genin simply trembled at the presence. He thought he was making them intimidated, knocking down their courageous attitude a few notches.

"Heh. You didn't do so well preparing them, Kakashi." Zabuza said. "Look at that one, he's so afraid he's trembling with fear."

"I'm not trembling out of fear." Sasuke said with a smirk. "I'm trembling from excitement."

Zabuza sneered at the genin. While the genin did appear to be ready to actually face him this time around, it was of little consequence. Even Haku would be able to handle him easily.

"That's enough out of you then." Zabuza said. "Haku, you attack the raven haired one. I have a feeling their pink comrade will be very easy to get through, but I'd rather the larger annoyances be removed first."

"As you wish, Zabuza." Haku replied.

However, Haku didn't need to wait long. As she ran to attack the target, she found Sasuke meet her in the middle of where they had previously been situated, both of them pushing their weapons against each other.

_'He moves as fast as me!' _Haku thought.

Their battle soon commenced. Haku immediately tried to use her senbon needles to incapacitate Sasuke's legs, though he quickly dodged the thrown needles. The next batch ere aimed at his body, but Sasuke brought his kunai up and deflected the thin weapons. Haku saw none of her tactics appearing to have any effect, so she simply switched them.

"I see your training since you last fought Zabuza has positive results." Haku stated.

"I've been training hard to defeat you. You should have expected that." Sasuke let out a grunt as he threw his kunai knife at the masked individual, yet she deflected it with a powerfully thrown senbon.

"You'll excuse me that I feel the need to end this relatively quickly." The fake hunter-nin formed a single handsign. "**Secret Jutsu: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!**"

The area around Sasuke soon transformed into mirrors of ice. Haku jumped into one of these mirrors and remained hidden inside.

"This technique allows me to hide my position and be protected from your attacks. No one has ever lived through this. You have been beaten."

* * *

When Sasuke rushed off to fight his opponent, Kakashi almost immediately came face to face with Zabuza. Using his initial momentum to his advantage, Zabuza swung his zanbato at Kakashi's midsection. Seeing the attack, Kakashi hopped over the blade, his knees spread apart and perpendicular to the ground. Zabuza's relentless assault of downward and upward slashes put Kakashi on the defensive, forcing him to continuously dodge the attacks made on him. During one downward strike, however, Kakashi slipped a kunai into his hand and brought the blunt side of the knife upward to meet Zabuza's large blade. The two struggled for dominance for a few moments before breaking apart and sizing each other up.

"So, Kakashi, it seems this will be an interesting fight." Zabuza stated. Kakashi's stance did not waver as his reply reached the other ninja.

"It seems so, Zabuza. I say, may the better ninja win." As he finished his statement, the two ninja rushed back to their battle.

Upon meeting each other, Kakashi thrust his kunai toward Zabuza, only to have the nuke-nin spin away from the strike, using the maneuver to follow up with a horizontal slash. While Kakashi ducked underneath the strike, he made an attempted slash at Zabuza's legs, only to have Zabuza hop over the fast attack. Bringing his sword toward his shoulder, Zabuza slashed at Kakashi's shoulder, determined to cleave him in two. However, Kakashi again brought his kunai up to block the attack, pushing Zabuza's blade away, though Zabuza quickly followed up with another slash at Kakashi's midsection had to jump back from to avoid. Just as he was about to go in for another strike, a dome of ice was created behind the two, causing both Zabuza and Kakashi to halt their transgressions.

"You're genin is dead now." Zabuza said. "No one has ever survived that jutsu. It's one of the reasons Haku is so deadly."

Kakashi, upon hearing this, attempted to run to the dome to assist Sasuke, though Zabuza's intervention saw to it to silence his endeavors.

"Instead of worrying about him, you should be focusing on your own battle!" Zabuza shouted as he resumed his assault.

* * *

On the other end of the forest, one Naruto Uzumaki was currently awakening from his long slumber. Peering around the room, he found it devoid of a certain stuck up teammate. Confused, he saw to it to dress as quickly as possible, though in his haste found he put his black tank top on backwards. Correcting his mistake, he donned his orange jacket and proceeded downstairs, where he met Tsunami and Inari at work in the home.

"Hey there, guys!" Naruto greeted them warmly, seeing as how they were allowing his team to use their home in their mission.

"Hello, Naruto. Your team said they would meet you at the bridge once they woke up." Tsunami informed him.

"What?!" Naruto was quickly distraught that his team allowed him to sleep in. That wouldn't do if he wanted to fulfill his mission, and sleeping was definitely not an objective of the mission. He quickly grabbed a rice ball prepared for him and rushed to the door while stuffing it in his mouth. "I gotta run! Maybe I can catch up with them!"

"Good luck, Naruto!" Inari called.

As Naruto raced through the trees to meet up with his team, he took note of a trail full of broken twigs. Stopping for a moment as curiosity took over, he found the twigs were cleanly sliced off the trees. Following the path of destruction, he found a butchered boar lying in grass as the area around it was stained red from the blood. Naruto's analytical side soon took over his personality.

While it was rare it would show itself, Naruto was actually quite smart since his continuous pranks required major planning. He simply did not have the patience nor knowledge to pass his Academy tests since teachers gave him harder ones.

The path of destruction was not caused by any hunter. Hunter's took pride in their ability to quickly and cleanly kill their prey, and while this was a kill, the path of destruction laid out a different story. Also, if this were any other hunter, even an amateur or a person who was killing this animal as it could have been, the Wave Country was stricken with a severe case of poverty and starvation. The killer should have taken this boar as a blessing of a meal, yet here laid its decomposing, freshly mutilated corpse. This person was hunting for sport and took pleasure in gruesome techniques. Feeling something bad may soon occur, he felt he should go and check up on Tsunami and Inari once more to be on the safe side.

Meanwhile at Tazuna's house, two swordsmen were quickly carrying Tsunami from the household.

"Hey, do you think Gato would throw a fit if we had a little fun with this girl first?" Zori said. Waraji simply grinned at his mischievous partner while Tsunami widened her eyes in terror.

"Oh, I don't think he'll mind. I know I certainly won't mind a little personal time with this beauty." Waraji chuckled at the thought, though was interrupted by a yell. Turning to see the source, they were met with Inari attempting to rush at them with a plank of wood.

"Tch. I knew he would be a pest. I'm just gonna kill him." Zori stated.

As Inari got close to the man, Zori drew his sword and sliced through Inari, cutting the boy. But blood did not appear as they expected. Instead, a log took the place of Inari as the thugs stared at it bewildered. Waraji was then surprised by a foot which planted itself on the top of his head before springing off of it.

"What the hell?! Who did that?!" Waraji turned to see a blonde boy dressed in orange laying Tsunami down next to the still standing Inari while he cut her bonds.

Naruto turned to the thugs as hatred flowed to his eyes. He quickly rushed at the mercenaries as they readied themselves, though as Waraji sliced at Naruto, he quickly punched the swordsman in his gut, effectively causing him to drop his sword and double over before Naruto grabbed his head and brought it down to meet his rising knee. As a result, the man was effectively unconscious from the powerful strike, the force of which caused his body to fall backwards. While the man was out cold, Naruto continued his assault, jumping up to deliver a swift kick to the man's head, the force sending him tumbling yards away.

Zori, witnessing his partners defeat, challenged Naruto next with the same opening Waraji had used. Dodging the strike, Naruto kicked him in the side and delivered a barrage of punches to the man's stomach, ending with a fierce punch to the side of the man's skull. The impact caused him to fall to the ground on the dock, but during his descent, his head hit a column of wood used to support the dock's height above the water.

Seeing his opponents subdued, Naruto procured some rope near the beginning of the dock and used it to bind the two men together for Wave's people to come and put them in jail later. Inari walked up to him, happily gazing at his surrogate brother.

"Naruto! You came back!" Inari exclaimed happily.

"Well, a hero always does make his entrance at the last possible moment, Inari!" Naruto said with his signature grin.

"Naruto." Tsunami was up and about as she walked toward Naruto. "Thank you for saving me and my son. If you hadn't come, we would have been in far worse trouble."

"Aw, it was nothing." Naruto stated as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, I gotta get over to my friend's and help them out. If they sent people after you, they probably sent Zabuza over to the bridge to get my teammates, so they're probably in trouble. Later Tsunami, Inari!"

Naruto quickly ran to the woods, intent on saving his friends, though unknowingly, Naruto had inspired the young child behind him. Inari had a plan, and he'd see to it that it was fulfilled.

* * *

On the bridge, Sasuke's body was full of needles as Haku's relentless assault frequently injured him. He was unable to avoid the few needles he kept catching from Haku's barrages.

Kakashi and Zabuza's struggle was also worsening. Zabuza was finally utilizing his Hidden Mist Jutsu, and Kakashi found himself at a distinct disadvantage facing the legendary swordsman since he was not familiar with the silent killing technique.

"Hahaha, it seems that this would be it. Too bad your other student seems to be absent from this fight Kakashi. Oh, well. One less pest. Honestly, he was probably a pathetic excuse for a ninja anyway." Zabuza's taunts reached Kakashi's ears, though Zabuza was actually slightly disappointed the loudmouthed orange clad genin was not there. He wanted to see the child's ability once more, even if he did have to kill him.

"See, that's where you're wrong. Underestimating him is a mistake." Kakashi began. "He continuously challenges Sasuke, hoping to prove to the Uchiha that he is just as skilled, and he drives both himself and Sasuke to reach new heights every time they fight. Though that's not the deadliest thing about him. The deadliest thing about Naruto Uzumaki is that he's Konoha's Number One, Unpredictable, Knucklehead Ninja!"

Suddenly, an explosion which blew away even Zabuza's thick mist could be heard from a kunai that was thrown onto the middle of the bridge. As fights ceased to see the newcomer, and as the smoke cleared, they were met with the image of Naruto standing proud at his arrival.

"Future Hokage Naruto Uzumaki, ready to go!"

As his team was relieved to see him, Naruto took note of the situations around him. Sakura was defending Tazuna, the bridge builder, while Kakashi and Sasuke were engaging the enemy. Kakashi seemed to be alright, if a little scuffed and scratched from his encounter with the nuke-nin, while Sasuke seemed to be having trouble, as several senbon were sticking out of his person. Determining Sasuke needed the most help, he ran to his aid.

_'He came after all. I'm actually kind of glad he did. Brat's got guts.' _Zabuza thought with a smirk though it was covered by his bandages.

_'Naruto's finally here! It's about time! If he stays outside, we should be able to think of a way to get through this jutsu.' _Sasuke thought.

"Hey, Sasuke." Naruto whispered. "I snuck in here to help you take this bastard out."

"NARUTO!"

"Ah!" Naruto yelled. "What the hell did I do?!"

"You idiot! Why would you come inside the enemy's attack?" Sasuke asked.

"To have a plan of attack in place after you melted this guy's jutsu with your own fire jutsu! It's the perfect plan!" Naruto argued.

"My fire jutsu doesn't fucking work against this ice jutsu!" Sasuke responded.

"… Woops?"

Zabuza and Kakashi gazed at the interaction. Sasuke was obviously reprimanding the blonde haired genin while Naruto snapped right back at him. Kakashi was currently sighing in disappointment at the blonde's actions while Zabuza was genuinely intrigued.

"Well," Kakashi started, "I did say he was the number one most _unpredictable _ninja." Kakashi said.

"I'll give you one thing, Kakashi." Zabuza started. "You sure know how to pick the most interesting students." With that, Zabuza once again attacked Kakashi, intent on success.

Meanwhile, inside the ice dome, Naruto was currently firing off Shadow Clone squad after Shadow Clone squad to try and break through Haku's defenses, though Haku's needles always dispatched his clones and injured him. While he had no success, Sasuke began to notice something.

_'She's moving slower.'_ He thought.

While Sasuke was unaware of this, his eyes had turned red, and two tomoes adorned the irises of his eyes. He looked at Naruto. It seemed Haku was waiting for his shadow clones now, as they provided the perfect cover for her to launch her attacks through the puffs of smoke. Realizing this was having no effect and ultimately helping the girl, Naruto stopped producing clones, though Sasuke soon moved to him and whispered his plan.

"Naruto, keep launching attacks at her. If you can draw her out, I think I can beat her."

While Naruto did not particularly enjoy the notion of being used as bait and a potential pincushion, he listened to Sasuke and allowed himself to charge at the mirrors. As he charged at the mirrors, Haku made her move and hurled senbon in his direction.

_'There you are!' _Sasuke thought as his hands landed on the correct signs. _'__**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu**__!'_

Sasuke's attack, while fast enough to hit Haku, did not actually injure the fake hunter-nin. It only slightly burnt a small part of her clothing near her ankles. Seeing this, Haku re-evaluated her current position.

As she looked into the eyes of the raven haired boy, she soon realized why and how she had been hit. The boy's Sharingan spun wildly in his eyes, waiting for her next attack. Trying to think of a new plan, she saw Naruto struggling under the pain of the needles that were imbedded in him. Seeing this as a potential advantage, Haku's next assault focused on Naruto, who was at the very center of her dome.

Naruto saw the needles flying at him, and resigned himself to suffer their piercing. Sasuke saw this, and upon recognizing the state of his friend, quickly ran to assist his comrade.

Once Naruto was able to determine he was not hit by the needles, he opened his eyes in confusion. He should be incapacitated right now, yet he was anything but. The sight he was met with shocked him to his very core. Sasuke stood in front of him, obviously in pain if the winces he made every now and then were any indication. Sasuke's back now had several senbon sticking into him, and it looked as though he was someone's voodoo doll. However, through it all, Sasuke still managed a slight smirk.

"Heh. You should see your face right now. You look like such a loser." Sasuke appeared to be fine at first glance, but the next moment he fell backwards, the pain catching up to him.

"Sasuke! Why'd you do it? Why didn't you just let me get hit?" Naruto was desperate for any answer.

"I don't know." Sasuke replied honestly. "My body just moved on its own. I guess I just didn't want to see my friend get cut down by needles of all things." The Uchiha chuckled, though became increasingly aware of his condition. Sasuke's eyes began to close as darkness consumed him.

"Naruto… listen. I need you… to do something for me." He started. "There's this man I need to kill. My brother… Itachi Uchiha." Sasuke was struggling with his words now, pain consuming him. "Please, Naruto… kill him. He murdered everyone I held dear. It's because of him… I am an avenger. Please… Naruto."

"Sasuke! No, c'mon, stay with me! Sasuke!" However, Naruto's words fell upon deaf ears. Sasuke couldn't hear anymore as his senses shut down. Soon, his eyes closed and his body became limp. Sasuke was dead.

"It's a shame, really. But this is an eventuality." Haku began from her mirrors. "Comrades die in battle. It is something all ninja must face in their lives. It is gruesome, but you still have to face that fact every day."

"Shut up." Naruto said.

His anger was building inside of him. This scum was talking to him as if he knew what Sasuke was to him. The first to accept him, the first to acknowledge him. Sasuke was honestly one of Naruto's best friend. He was the type of person Naruto wished to be in some ways. Naruto wished he could be as smart as Sasuke. He wished he could be the one to gain Sakura's attention effortlessly. He wished he could have the same level of skill Sasuke seemed to possess in his ninjutsu. He wished he could have known his own family like Sasuke did, even if he had to live through the pain of losing them.

Sasuke was Naruto's rival. He was the bane of Naruto's existence. He was one of Naruto's best friends.

"I'm go**ing to**…" Naruto's voice began to change as the words left his mouth.

He gazed at the correct mirror Haku was located in. His eyes instantly became slitted and red, his whiskered scars defining themselves even further as his hair seemed to lengthen ever so slightly.

**"I swear I'll kill you!"** Naruto roared his declaration as red chakra exploded from his very body, visible to everyone's eyes. Senbon one by one popped out of his body with tremendous force.

Haku looked on with terror. This boy was beginning to surprise her, and she had to deal with him quickly. Naruto began to charge her on all fours, appearing more like an animal than anything else. Launching herself at another mirror, she hurled her senbon at Naruto. Naruto was aware of the needles and simply let out a roar. Chakra came from his mouth at the same time, and Haku's senbon were pushed away at its force. Haku was beyond surprised, and Naruto neared her mirror and let out his most powerful punch. The mirror shattered and Haku flew out of the mirror's fragments and onto the bridge.

Kakashi and Zabuza's fight ceased as they both felt the demonic presence. Zabuza felt as though he was in the presence of the devil himself and saw Naruto was the source. Naruto's eyes were filled with pure rage and bloodlust, truly something worthy of being called demonic.

_'Haku! She's in trouble! But I can't leave Kakashi, If I did he would just stab me in the back. Damn it! I'm so sorry Haku, I'm not powerful enough to save you. But that brat's chakra. Could he be a-?'_

"Kakashi… he's a jinchuriki, isn't he?" Kakashi gazed at Zabuza in surprise. Few even knew of Naruto's kind, and Zabuza's knowledge was stunning, yet humbling at the same time.

"It's supposed to be a secret so he can lead a relatively normal life. The sealing of the Nine-Tails which is imprisoned inside Naruto… It cost him his father." Kakashi's somber voice portrayed his appearance.

Seeing this, Zabuza took the chance to attack Kakashi with the one arm he possessed after the injury Kakashi gave him.

"Focus on the fight at hand, Kakashi!"

Naruto continued to charge at Haku, releasing another fierce punch at the girl, effectively cracking her mask. She flew down the bridge from the blow, coming to a stop far from where she was punched. She stood up shakily as her mask began to crumble. Naruto still charged at her, ready to strike again, the red chakra filling him with power.

As Haku fully stood up, the mask she wore fell from her face, clattering on the ground. Fully prepared to face the strike, she waited for the fist to make contact with her head again. Though to her surprise, Naruto stopped his fist just short of her nose, his face aimed at the ground.

"What's wrong?" She began. "Weren't you going to avenge your friend?" Naruto continued to look at the ground, his resolve wavering. "Or maybe he didn't actually mean that much to you after all."

Her taunts struck a nerve in Naruto, and as he brought his face up, he still showed the side effects that the red chakra brought. His slitted red eyes and defined scars standing out from his anger ridden face as he let loose another punch to Haku. However, this one was much less powerful than previous attacks as it simply caused Haku's head to turn to the left, nowhere near fatal enough.

"Why?" Naruto asked. "Why do you want to die so much? It's pissing me off!"

Haku gazed at him emotionlessly as his words reached her.

"I am a mere tool of Zabuza's. I became useless once I failed in my battle. I am a worn weapon that should be thrown away." Haku stated.

"How can you think so little of yourself?! The day you came to me, you said you fought for someone precious in your life! How can you fight for someone as cold as Zabuza?!" Naruto yelled, angry at her for her disregard. Haku's gaze became a saddened stare.

"There was a time when all people who possessed a bloodline were regarded as threats to the people's welfare. It resides in many's minds, including my own. My own father killed my mother. I was so scared I killed my father to save myself. Afterwards, I ran. I lived on the streets for so long. Then, one day, when the snow was falling, Zabuza came to me on that small bridge. He offered me a place by his side, as a weapon to serve him when he launched his rebellion against The Hidden Mist. They killed us because of our bloodline abilities, and he swore to me he'd help."

"I finally felt like I belonged. He treated me fairly and in return I helped in the process of fulfilling his dreams. For once, I felt right, like I had someone who cared enough about me. He's like a father, and if I am useless to him, I would rather die. I am his weapon until he fulfills his dreams, and I failed him. So I wish to die." Haku explained.

Naruto was still hesitant. This was a human being. He could try to help her find a new meaning in life, one filled with less hurt and pain. Though he soon realized Zabuza was her precious person, and she'd do anything for him. The thought was a happy one for him. She found something worth living for, and she even caused Naruto to change his own nindo to her own. To fight for those precious to him. His precious ones gave him his strength and inspired him to succeed.

Suddenly, Haku's eyes widened as realization crept in. She could see behind Naruto that there was lightning in Kakashi's hand as Zabuza was held in place by ninja hounds. Zabuza would be impaled if she did not stop him. Pushing Naruto back, she spoke to him.

"Sorry, Naruto." She began. "There's one last thing I must do before I die."

Haku then began to race toward Zabuza, intent on intercepting the attack. As Naruto looked behind himself, he saw her goal. His eyes widening, he raced toward Kakashi, still under the power of the Nine-Tails chakra. He was about to immediately grab Haku, though remembered that her precious person was Zabuza. Seeing the main problem was Kakashi's jutsu would be intercepted by Haku if he allowed her to continue, and if he stopped Haku she would become distraught at Zabuza's death, he made his decision.

He raced past Haku and toward his sensei with all his might and managed to tackle Kakashi. Caught off guard by the action, Kakashi plummeted to the ground due to the impact, canceling his jutsu immediately as he let the chakra disperse. He was about to reprimand Naruto when he saw the reason he stopped him. Haku was standing there, willing to sacrifice herself for her master, and suddenly, Kakashi was glad Naruto stopped him.

"Haku?" Came Zabuza's disbelieving voice.

"Yes, Zabuza." She replied, stunned at Naruto's assistance.

"Naruto!" Sakura called from Sasuke's body. Apparently she had managed to move to his location sometime during the fight. "Look, Sasuke's okay!"

Sure enough, Sasuke was standing right there in the flesh, alive as could be. Haku smiled at this. She had only put the Uchiha in a deathlike state, not actual death. Meanwhile, Naruto's smile was quickly rivaling anyone else's on the planet. His best friend was still alive after all the abuse he had taken. From what the Uchiha appeared to be expressing, he felt his sudden regaining of life was not a big deal, but the happy smile on his face betrayed his thoughts as he looked at Naruto.

As Kakashi pulled himself off the ground and Naruto stepped away from him, he felt his chakra was drained and the nin-dogs holding Zabuza dispersed, and he felt fatigued at the expense of his chakra. Kakashi readied himself as once again Zabuza came at him. This time, Kakashi ducked under the horizontal slash and managed to stab Zabuza in the muscle of his one good arm. The action caused Zabuza to drop his sword, as his arms were now useless.

"It's over Zabuza. Both your arms are useless now. There's no way out." Kakashi said.

"Yes, Zabuza, it would appear it's over."

A voice rang out from the very end of the bridge where a portion was missing. The ninja and bridge builder turned to come face to face with the small man named Gato, the cause of this conflict. He stood with a smug smile on his face that seemed to radiate with greed.

"Gato," Zabuza started, "What are you doing here? I thought we had a deal."

"Ah, yes, about that. It seems you charge far too much for me. I simply see the need to cut you off. However, before you do die, please kill some of these mercenaries. I don't want to have to pay them all, I have a business to run, after all." Gato's greed was what caused him to double cross Zabuza. And the Demon of the Hidden Mist Village was not someone you wanted to piss off, much less betray.

"Well, Kakashi, the only reason I was doing this was because I needed the money, and since Gato's not paying anymore, it seems we're allies against a common enemy now." Zabuza informed Kakashi.

"Yeah, I hear ya. The enemy of my enemy sort of thing, right? But I think that's too many thugs for just us too handle as we are." Kakashi said.

At this, Zabuza tore away his bandages, his sharp teeth showing themselves to all. While many were curious as to how his teeth could have been almost shark-like, his next request was a strange one.

"Hey, blondie! Throw me a kunai." Fishing around his holster, Naruto had pulled a kunai from his pouch and tossed it to Zabuza. he grabbed onto said object with his teeth, wielding it horizontally.

"Zabuza, Please don't! You can't survive against that many enemies!" Haku protested.

"I know. All shinobi's lives must come to an end. Which is why I am going to die here today. For simple revenge. Maybe if I take out enough, you all will have a chance at defeating the rest." Zabuza's cold hearted exterior was cracking away as his thoughts of his final moments came to life. He was going to sacrifice himself so they may survive.

However, currently preventing him from doing so was the blonde haired menace of a genin, Naruto Uzumaki, who stood directly in front of him, preventing his attack.

"What are you doing, you brat? Move it!" Zabuza commanded, though Naruto simply shook his head at the swordsman.

"Nope. I'm gonna help clear the way. I got enough chakra in me for a lot of Shadow Clones! But don't worry, Gato's all yours." Naruto exclaimed. He formed the crossed seal which signaled his signature jutsu, and it was at this point that Kakashi, Zabuza, and Haku noticed that he was no longer utilizing the power of the Nine-Tails, as his features had returned to normal some time before. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Soon, the bridge was filled with nearly a hundred Naruto's with kunai at the ready. They seemed prepared to kill the thugs in front of them and Zabuza couldn't help but be impressed. But he knew what it was like to perform a first kill. He had seen Haku go through it the first time in his service. And it wasn't an accident like it had been with her father.

"Kid, I appreciate it, but do you really want to have all of their blood on your hands?" Zabuza inquired.

"Then I'll just knock them all right down on their asses till they can't get up anymore! After all," Naruto pause as he turned to face Zabuza. "If I'm gonna be Hokage, then I have to be strong enough to protect my friends!" As Naruto declared this, the Shadow Clones began their assault on the army of thugs.

While the members of Team Seven, Haku, Tazuna, and Zabuza stayed back, the clone's work showed in their battle, and Naruto especially was surprising them. The boy had run into the fray alongside his clones, and he was holding his own against all of the remaining bandits. Their numbers dwindle from sixty down to thirty, and eventually they were left with ten mercenaries before Naruto's fatigue caught up with him, along with the last of his clones dispersing.

_'Damn,' _Naruto thought, _'I couldn't get them all.'_

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as a grey blur flew past him. Zabuza had made his strike, charging at the nearest of the remaining mercenaries, plunging the kunai into their chest before once again gripping it within his mouth and violently tearing it away. Two more thugs came up on Zabuza, who swiftly slit one's throat before they could attack him and slashed a large, deep gash in the other ones body.

The remaining seven hired muscle jumped on Zabuza, hoping that pinning the nuke-nin would render him immobile. However, they're tactic showed the exact opposite intended result as blood exploded from new slashes made in the thug's bodies. With the thugs falling around him bloodied, he laid his eyes on his primary target: Gato.

Said sleazy business man was trembling in fear from the massive display of raw power. Zabuza took his sweet time approaching the small man.

"Y'know, Gato, most men would hate this much killing. But not me. No, in fact, I feel at peace when I'm slaughtering. After all," Zabuza's chakra was freely seeping from his being, its malicious nature forming into the very being he was identified with. A demon.

"I'm a killer!"

"No! That's not possible! You really are a demon!" Gato shrieked in terror, slowly backing up further down the bride, though found himself precariously place on the edge, unable to make a further retreat.

"I'll make you pay for every life you've ever taken, Gato. And when I take my last breath, long after I've disposed of you, I'll make sure to be your personal torturer in hell!" With the final words said, Zabuza plunged the kunai into him, repeating the same process performed on the first thug, proceeding through many more slashes and gashes. Soon, Gato's body fell toward the water plummeting with tremendous force.

"Heh, serves that bastard right." Zabuza said.

"Man, Zabuza, I thought you were going… to…" Naruto attempted to finish his sentence, though he quickly passed out from his fatigue.

The occupants of the bridge looked at the boy in wonder, save for the whole of Team Seven. The boy just took on a whole band of mercenaries and emerged victorious even with his tired condition from using the power of the Nine-Tails, and out of all things, he passed out from tiredness.

However, all Zabuza thought of was when the idiot stupidly blocked his path to the mercenaries and took charge of their defeat himself.

"Kakashi, I have a new moniker for your genin here." Zabuza said. "Number One, Hotheaded, Maverick Ninja."

Kakashi actually agreed with the nuke-nin.

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened to find him lying on his back in a dim sewer. Recognizing it as the Konoha sewer system he used to hide in to escape mobs, he heaved himself off the ground to make his way out. Though as he did, he very quickly became confused. He was in the sewer system, true, but the last thing he remembered was fighting on the bridge in Wave. The sewer system in front of him seemed so large, yet Naruto knew there was something off, as his instincts screamed it.

His line of thought was cut off as he heard several growls emanate from behind him, and his curiosity took over. Weaving left and right through the sewers, Naruto's walk brought him face to face with what he assumed was a giant cage only named by the slip of paper reading 'seal' on the wall. Naruto turned to leave, assuming this was nothing, but was stopped by a menacing voice.

**"So, my jailor is finally paying me a visit. Tch. I'm ****_so_****_flattered_****." **

The sarcasm-laced voice seemed to resonate throughout the room as Naruto spun to meet the speaker. He was met with a haunting sight however. Two red eyes appeared in the shadows. The being then was lit up as glowing red chakra seeped out from its very being, revealing a monstrous fox with nine tails. However, this fact eluded Naruto because of the terror he faced.

"Who are you…?" Naruto's voice trembled with fear at the sight of the monster, while it simply sneered at him.

**"Tch. Just my luck. I get the dumb host. It should be obvious enough considering what you hold!"** The entity seemed angered on Naruto's presence, but the realization soon found its way to Naruto's features.

"You're the Nine-Tailed Fox?" Naruto's fear was quickly dying from the discovery.

**"Hmph. Getting braver all of a sudden Leaf scum? You're facing the most powerful bijuu in the world! Now release me, you insolent Leaf ninja!" **The Nine-Tails commanded. Naruto, however, was now confident as his suspicions were confirmed.

"Hell, no! If you think I'm letting you out, you've got another thing coming! And why did you have to attack the village?! Why couldn't you have just left us alone?! Then I could actually have a normal life instead of living with the beatings every day of my life!" Naruto's anger could be seen as he challenged the demon to say more.

Pieces were connecting in Naruto's mind as well. If this was the Kyuubi, his consciousness must have been transported to the inside of his mind. He was safe at the moment due to the bars separating Kyuubi from him.

**"I am not required to answer any of that! I attacked your village for my own reasons, so get over it! Konohagakure should have fallen by my hand that day, and it was only your Kage that saved your miserable lives!" **Kyuubi roared. **"However, having a weak container is something I most certainly do not desire. I suggest you learn more jutsu, whelp, because I do not wish to die due to your incompetence."** The Kyuubi had struck a nerve in Naruto at his statement.

"I've got plenty jutsu! I've got Shadow Clones and Transformation and Substitution and the Sexy Jutsu and… and…" Naruto's voice trailed off as he came to a sudden realization.

**"Oh, what's the problem? Only just realizing how weak you are? You Leaf Ninja, always such idiots. In total you have three jutsu to use, and the last one doesn't even count you fool, and your taijutsu is atrocious! I'm surprised you haven't died yet." **The Kyuubi was correct. Naruto knew very, very little ninjutsu compared to other ninja, and only worked with the Academy taijutsu style, though he mostly made up his moves.

"Fine, I see your point. I have to get stronger." Naruto said. "So, you damn fox, how do I get out of here?"

**"That's easy. Come through the gate, it's on the other side of my room." **The Nine-Tails said.

"Not gonna happen. Sorry, but I like living." Naruto waved his idea off.

The Nine-Tails growled in annoyance, grumbling of his misfortune. Naruto, however, was focusing on a small light coming from the darkness of the tunnel he had come through. Squinting at it, the light assaulted his eyes instantaneously, though his vision went black just as quickly as dreams overtook him.

* * *

Naruto awoke a day and a half after the confrontation on the bridge. He was told after the fight the villagers had appeared hoping to aid the ninja, and were led by Inari. Naruto was ecstatic he had inspired the young boy and congratulated Inari on his bravery. The villagers initially thought Zabuza and Haku were enemies, but were calmed once they were informed the two were allies who had assisted them. Although hesitant, the villagers accepted the duo and invited them to live in the village upon learning Zabuza killed Gato. Once Naruto had awoken, he returned with his team to the bridge to assist in reconstruction. While he had no idea how to build a bridge, he was able to create numerous clones to work on heavy lifting and supplying the workers.

Four weeks had passed since the resuming of construction, and the bridge was finally finished. Team Seven currently stood near the entrance to the bridge. Zabuza's injured arms which had been useless for most of the month since the fight had healed, however it was a limited amount since Zabuza's injuries had been to muscle and nerves, making his arms inadequate to wield weapons, however he figured he simply needed to train his arms once more. He had abandoned hiding his face behind his bandages, as he felt he no longer needed them. He stood at the bridge, intent on seeing the team off and making his final decision on his choice regarding the blonde before him. However, the entirety of the village in Wave saw fit to see their heroes off as well.

"Well, it's been fun and all, but now that our mission is completed we must be heading back to the Leaf. On my behalf, I thank you all for your hospitality and services for my team on this mission." Kakashi humbly announced to the crowd gathered. However, Zabuza soon approached the group.

"Kakashi, I have a favor to ask of you. Please, take Haku with you to the Leaf Village. She deserves a better life than she has had, and I think Konoha would be a good place for her." He stated.

"Zabuza, no! My place is beside you, not with the Leaf. You are my precious person, I don't want to leave you!" Haku's eyes filled with sadness at the prospect of leaving Zabuza. The man was like a real father to her.

"Haku, I know you don't want to leave, but trust me, there is a better life than one beside me. You are like a daughter to me, and I don't want you to have to endure a life you won't be happy with here. If you wish, you could even use my last name as your own. I don't know if you wish to, but the option is there. You're pretty much like a daughter to me." Zabuza said.

Haku's eyes filled with tears as she processed his words. To know he felt as if she were his own blood warmed her heart more than he knew.

"Thank you!" Haku cried as she embraced Zabuza, who returned the gesture.

For once in his life, Zabuza felt happy that he could call her family, a simple gesture he struggled with showing for so long. His emotionless shell had certainly cracked wide open since meeting the young genin on this mission. One he had been spending numerous hours with was the young Naruto, and he had been a big reason for the change of personality. He was determined to find what drove the boy to be as strong as he hoped to be and found a worthy successor to him. The gift he finally resolved to bestow upon Naruto would help him achieve his dream and protect his loved ones.

"Haku, I would also like for you to have my headband. Take it as a memento from me, please." Zabuza said. "However, my one condition is that when you find someone you love, you better be damn sure to bring them here so I can meet them… and probably kick their asses to whip'em into shape."

Haku nodded as her sobs began to cease. Releasing Haku from his hold, he passed on his forehead protector to Haku and then turned to Kakashi once more, waiting for the answer to his request when the white haired jonin finally responded.

"Me and my team will escort her back to Konohagakure, Zabuza. She will be able to live her life as she sees fit, whether that will be as a ninja or civilian will be entirely up to her." Kakashi stated, smirking at their interaction behind his mask.

"Thank you, Kakashi. Now, I have one more order of business with those genin of yours. More specifically, Naruto." All ninja's present look to Naruto in puzzlement as they attempted to determine what he could have in store for Naruto. Naruto's bewildered face certainly conveyed his own confusion.

"Naruto, I, Zabuza Momochi, former ninja of the Hidden Mist and the Seven Legendary Swordsman, pass my blade on to you." The statement shocked all present. This blade was Zabuza's fame and pride. To pass it on to Naruto was certainly something none had expected. Naruto soon broke out of his shock and immediately refused.

"It's your sword, Haku should really have it. You do think of her as family." Naruto's protests were sound, however Zabuza wasn't budging.

"While Haku is family, I think you would be better suited. Haku is not a swordsman by any means, and I doubt she would find use for my blade. It is a gruesome weapon, and Haku does not possess the heart to wield it. However, Haku, if you have any complaints, please have them voiced. You are well within reason to do so." He finished, however, Haku simply shook her head.

"No, I feel you are correct. I would not enjoy the use of the weapon, and I feel Naruto would find more use for it than myself, and he would be able to wield it better than I could." Seeing as he was outmatched, Naruto decided to accept the gift, considering he found the blade rather amazing.

"If it's alright with Haku, then sure, I'll take it!" Naruto said, his voice now portraying his excitement. "This is so cool! My own sword! And it looks so awesome!" Naruto was practically bouncing up and down as he couldn't contain his excitement.

"I have one condition though, Naruto." As Naruto's enthusiasm instantly deflated, Zabuza continued. "If you want to use this blade, Kubikiribōchō, you must promise that you will also use it to protect the people you love and care for."

"Alright, Zabuza! I promise, I will protect my precious people with this zanbato!" Naruto stated brightly, fully intending to fulfill his end of the bargain.

Zabuza smirked at the small ninja. His liveliness and excitement seemed to just pour out of him at every chance it got. Grinning like a madman at his next action, Zabuza removed his blade from its place behind his back and held the blade vertically so Naruto could grab the handle. As Naruto's hand enveloped the handle, however, Zabuza suddenly let go, and the entire weight of Zabuza's sword fell into Naruto's hand, causing the orange genin to become intensely intimate with the ground.

"What the hell was that, Zabuza?!" Naruto yelled.

Zabuza was outright laughing at Naruto. The ninja had a long way to go before he could properly lift the colossal sword, and he knew it would be hell for the genin. He'd be damned if he still wasn't at least a little bit of a sadist.

"Oh, my, this is going to be one long trip." Kakashi said before pulling out a small orange book. "Well, good thing I still have some reading material."

"Heh, I only feel slightly sorry for you, Kakashi. I'm still a little annoyed about what happened to my arms." Zabuza taunted. "But hey, maybe once I' m back to one-hundred percent, I can head over to Kirigakure and join the current rebellion."

"Well, I certainly hope you'll be combat ready again. You'll probably go insane without action." Zabuza merely grunted at Kakashi.

"Still, I guess I'll take it easy for another year, maybe. I think I deserve that much. Plus, someone's gotta look over this town while they get everything back to normal."

"I'd say so." Zabuza moved away from the group and back to the villagers, taking in the Konoha team and his surrogate daughter's faces once more.

"Kakashi, Haku, you three. Listen up and listen good. For all intents and purposes, I died at the bridge. Zabuza Momochi is dead outside of Wave Country. I'd rather not have hunter-nins actually coming for me in this little village." Zabuza said.

"Don't worry Zabuza." Kakashi said.

"Our lips are sealed." Sakura spoke up.

Meanwhile, Naruto had arisen from the ground and bent over to retrieve the sword. However, as Naruto attempted to drag the sword over to his comrades who were slightly behind him, his face appeared to be constipated for a good moment with the effort and caused another bout of laughter to erupt from multiple people in the crowd. Inari soon stepped forward, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Naruto, will we saw each other again?" The sadness in the boy's voice was a shock to Naruto, but he simply smiled at Inari.

"Of course we will! We'll see each other down the line, I just know it." Naruto grunted out, still trying to drag the sword.

The younger boy broke down in tears as Team Seven and Haku soon began their long trek home. Once they were out of earshot, a villager suddenly remembered a matter they had completely forgotten about.

"Hey, what are we going to name the bridge? With everything going on, we kinda forgot about it." A villager asked as others joined in.

"How about, 'The Great Naruto Bridge.' Named after the young ninja who saved the Wave country." Tazuna's proposal was met with a series of approvals from all the villagers, including Zabuza Momochi.

"Sounds like a good idea. Named after the future Hokage." The nuke-nin stated.

With that said, the villagers began to vacate the bridge. However, Zabuza and Tazuna's family stayed a little while longer until Team Seven fully crossed the bridge.

* * *

Nearing the village, Chunins Kotetsu and Izumo looked up to see Kakashi Hatake and his genin team minus one entering the village.

"Hey, Kakashi. I see you're missing a student." Kotetsu began.

"Yeah, where is Naruto? It's been pretty boring around here without anyone to chase after." Izumo had had enough of quiet time and wanted some mischief to return to the village.

Kakashi calmly pointed toward the road leading out of the village as Sakura and Sasuke fumed while Haku simply chuckled. There, slowly but surely following down the road, was Naruto Uzumaki. As Naruto neared, Kakashi simply turned to the last page of his Icha Icha Paradise book and read the final lines of the story, and by the time that was accomplished, Naruto had reached them. Sasuke was quick to comment.

"I can't believe you made us take nearly four hours more to reach the village with that damn sword."

"Well it's not my fault it weighs two hundred pounds!" Naruto stated.

"Idiot! If you didn't accept that oversized sword then we wouldn't be having the argument, now would we?!" Sakura yelled.

"It is not Naruto's fault, you two." Haku said. "The blade weighs a significant amount, so it was to be expected."

"Alright, alright, enough squabbling, you three. Let's head to the Hokage's Tower and give our mission report. Oh, and Naruto? Please try not to drag that thing on the floor of the tower? Trenches from a huge zanbato are not something you can easily clean up." Kakashi said before the team walked on to the Tower.

Kakashi's words instantly puzzled Naruto. Well, mostly for the reason he couldn't think of another method of carrying the sword without dragging it along the ground. But the old man certainly would not appreciate that, and along the journey he realized he needed a kenjutsu teacher. If Naruto defaced the Hokage tower like that, the Third Hokage certainly wouldn't show him one. So, with Naruto being the smart ninja he was, he decided to carry the blade by resting the blunt side on his shoulder. While this worked, albeit for only about two seconds, he ultimately was once again re-introduced to the soil below him. From there, he saw fit to leave said sword outside the Tower instead. He could just have Shadow Clones look after it for him.

The looks Naruto received were ones he was most certainly accustomed to, yet saddened him regardless. While some ninja looked at the genin surprised or with a congratulatory smile upon noticing his new weapon, most ninja and villagers were still gazing at him with contempt and hatred. Normally, Naruto would hide the pain he felt. Just as he was now.

'Why do they all hate me so much just because of the Nine-Tails. I never hurt them before, only the Nine-Tails hurt them. So why me? In fact, why the hell did I ever have to have this thing inside me? It wasn't fair!'

Naruto's eyes traveled up to the Kage who he claimed was an inspiration to him, the Fourth's face forever set into that position. The very Hokage whose head served as a tranquil safe-zone from all the villagers.

'He put the fox in me. I should hate him for it but I don't. Ojii told me that the Yondaime saw me as a hero for carrying this burden when he sealed it inside of me. If he thinks I'm a hero, then I'll just be a hero despite what everyone else thinks! I'll keep saving their lives and protecting my friends, then there's no way I can stay a demon in their eyes! Heck, I'll even save Sasuke and Ojii! Believe it!"

Naruto's train of thought was quickly broken as he walked straight into Kakashi who was standing right in front of the Hokage Tower entrance. However, walking into Kakashi caused him to fall to the ground.

"Naruto, please watch where you're going." Kakashi said, bending down to offer Naruto help to rise.

Naruto nodded, and when they reached the actual tower, he leaned the sword up against the wall of the structure. Naruto created three shadow clones to watch over his sword while he went in and questioned the Sandaime. Walking in through the front the Hokage's secretary at her desk sneered at Naruto while offering a slight bow of her head toward Sasuke to replace a more formal bow. The last Uchiha looked at her oddly as they passed her by, and stole a glance at Naruto before turning away.

Once they reached the Hokage's office, Kakashi was just finishing up the report while Naruto ignored him, the report quickly becoming little more than noise to him.

"… and before he died, as a last act of courtesy, Zabuza Momochi passed his sword on to Naruto, and asked us to bring Haku here to live her life as she pleased. Then, we traveled back once the bridge had finished construction." Kakashi finished.

The Hokage turned to Naruto in surprise even though the genin was only paying a small amount of attention, Naruto's figure completely focused on the Hokage. Afterwards, his eyes traveled to the young woman, Haku. While she looked completely harmless, her actions in Wave Country proved otherwise, so he decided to question Haku first.

"Well, child, you've come a far distance from Wave Country. Tell me, have you considered what you wish to do with your life here?" He asked

"To be honest, Lord Hokage, I considered this many times on our journey here, and if you would allow it, I would like to live as a civilian here in Konoha. However, I understand that I possess a bloodline and, with your permission, would like to be acknowledged as a member of my own clan, different from my original one. This way I could start anew here in Konohagakure."

"I think that can be arranged." The Hokage said with a warm smile. "I will have a Chunin escort you to an apartment I will give to you, Haku."

With that, Haku bowed and exited the room with a smile adorning her face. Sarutobi then turned to Team Seven with the same smile, congratulating them.

"My assistant will give you all the payment for a B-Rank mission, considering the circumstances. You are all dismissed. And well done." The Third said. "Oh, Naruto, could you stay a moment, though?"

"So, Naruto, you now wield the blade of Zabuza Momochi, correct?" The Sandaime asked.

"Yeah, Ojii, it's sitting outside against the Hokage Tower right now. Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me where to find a kenjutsu teacher for the sword." Naruto asked.

"I think this can be arranged. I will send for a ninja to meet you at the village gates in one and a half hours from now to take you to a trainer once I acquire the location of one."

"What?! Really, Ojii? Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best!"

Naruto was practically bouncing off the walls from the promise of training. He would be able to once again receive training which would bring him one step closer to the title of Hokage.

"You're welcome, Naruto, I'm glad you're happy. To be honest, I never would have expected you to actually wish to use a sword in combat. It is a pleasant surprise. Please, try to arrive on time unlike your ever so late sensei. And pack for a half month long trip." The Hokage pleaded.

"Yes, sir!" Naruto began to bolt out of the room, only to be stopped by the old ninja's voice.

"And Naruto! Leave your new sword here! I will seal it and hand it to the ninja I assign."

"You got it, Ojii! See ya later!" Once again, though, as Naruto bolted from the room, he bumped into Leaf Village ninja.

"Hey, brat! Watch it, 'cause next time I won't hesitate to cut you!" Said the Jonin.

However, Naruto being Naruto, he effectively stuck his tongue out at her, pulled the bottom of his right eyelid down, blew a raspberry in her face, then ran off.

"Why, you little-"

Before Anko could pursue him, she realized the door to the Hokage's office was wide open and he had witnessed the entire thing.

"Sorry, Lord Hokage! A thousand pardons! I did not mean to do that. The genin caught me off guard and I was angered."

"It is alright, Anko. Though tell me, where is your apprentice?" The Sandaime asked.

"Er, well, you see, he said he was going to shop for a weapon to use in battle with saved up allowance or something like that and ran off. He said something about finding an old friend to."

"Ah, sounds like something he would do." The Hokage stopped, pondering his current situation.

"Tell me, Anko, would you and your apprentice like another mission? An escort mission that will last until just before the Chunin Exams?"

"Eh?! But we just got back! We can't even relax?"

"It will only be a half a month journey, and you will be staying at inns for those nights. One of our genin have need of a zanbato trainer, and I happen to know a fairly competent wielder who may be able to train him, though as Hokage I cannot leave the village to simply escort a genin. So, I thought maybe you could. Besides," The Hokage let out a warm smile. "The genin is the old friend your apprentice is searching for."

"Zanbato, huh?" Anko said. "Well, Miki's demon trainer happens to be a master in that department as well. Maybe it would be better to see him rather than the average trainer you have in mind?"

Upon hearing this, he thought it was the perfect way to train Naruto and have him learn to control his demon's powers. The identity of the trainer as well was a matter that convinced him as well.

"Yes, I think I see the benefit in that. Please, go see her instead. Now, prepare for the mission, I will file it and provide you B-Rank pay just as you did for this training mission with your apprentice."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" And with that, Anko exited the building to search for her apprentice.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the streets of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki was currently walking to the ninja supply store in the district. He always traveled to this store in particular since it always gave him fair prices without throwing him out.

However, as Naruto was moving along, he suddenly became aware it was getting progressively darker out. When he looked, however, it seemed that he was the only one in the shade currently surrounding him. He became confused further when found the spot of shade growing around him. Stopping to figure out just what it was, he was interrupted by a yell.

"NARUTO!"

Looking up to find the source of the noise, he found a boy speeding towards him from the sky, but Naruto could not react fast enough to evade him at his speed. The boy was now standing on top of Naruto, ecstatic at seeing his closest friend. His pants flapped in the wind until they settled, adjusting to their now immobile state.

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto! It's been way, way, way too long, bro!" The new arrival said.

"Miki! Can't… breathe." Naruto complained.

Blinking in confusion, Miki looked down to see exactly what Naruto's difficulty with his lungs was being caused by. Upon seeing his feet effectively squishing Naruto, Miki let out a sheepish smile and lightly removed himself from Naruto's back. Naruto rolled over to let his lungs feast on the fresh air of the outdoors, color returning to his face after paling from lack of oxygen. Miki extended a hand to help Naruto up from his position in the ground, which was gladly accepted.

"So, how are you doing, Naruto? Kick any ass yet?" Miki inquired.

"Well, I managed to take out nearly an entire bridge full of mercenaries all on my own! I bet you couldn't beat that in a million years!" Naruto boasted.

"Well, I dunno about a bridge, but I got rid of a small village full of bandits." Miki chuckled.

Naruto's pride in his accomplishment quickly disappeared at this news, knowing his brother was about his level in his ninja training.

"Aw, man, it's still gonna be like when we first met in the orphanage, isn't it? We're both gonna be progressing just as quickly as the other, aren't we?" Naruto complained.

"Hey, Foxy, look at it like this, that means we'll both ascend through the ranks together at about the same time." Miki said.

"Yeah, well there's no way I'm going to let you beat me to Hokage!"

"Dude, I don't even want the job. No offense, but I don't think I could risk my life for some of the jerkier residents of this goddamn village. Nah, I'll be plenty happy with being an ANBU Captain! I plan on being the second youngest, and then I'll go find Itachi and make him tell me why the fuck he made his brother into such a fruit basket!" Miki's eyes almost looked to be burning with the intensity he spoke his words.

"Man, you really miss him, don't you?" Naruto inquired.

"Of course." Miki's face quickly morphed into a more visibly saddened one. "He was just about the first person to actually treat us like humans instead of monsters. One day, I'll find him and drag him back here to tell me why he freakin' left me with the poor excuse of 'testing his power'. He could finally go back to living here with all of us. He could stop running from the past and have a nice life here."

Naruto chuckled before pausing for a moment. He took a quick study of Miki before he caught what was different. It was glaringly obvious but Naruto was only able to just see it.

"You changed your look." Naruto stated.

The last time Naruto had seen Miki was the day after they both became genin after Mizuki tricked them into stealing the Forbidden Scroll, when the Hokage called them in to speak with them, and that was about two and a half months ago. Back then, Miki's eyes were blue and he had a head of dirty blonde hair, and he wore an orange tank top with the Leaf symbol printed on the front in red, grey shinobi pants with wrapping around his right thigh for his practice kunai and shuriken, along with black shinobi sandals.

Now, however, Miki's outfit was different. His eyes were silver, rivaling the moon in how they seemed to shine in the light. His orange tank top was replaced with a loose fitting black t-shirt with a swirl in bright red on the back, the bottom of the shirt frayed as if it had been burned at some point. His pants were less loose on his sleek, toned body and were now colored rust orange, going just beyond his ankles. His shinobi sandals were the only thing which remained the same. His hair even seemed to have grown, the back reaching down to the base of his neck and was slightly messy, a bang hanging down in between his eyes (A/N: Basically, think of it as Rin's hair from Ao No Exorcist). His forehead protector was tied around his left thigh, angled.

"I felt like it was time I changed my outfit. I can't very well go running around in my frickin' bright ass orange tank top if I want to survive, so those are my casual clothes for when I'm not on mission, and my eyes and hair changed during my training I've been getting for these two and a half months. You, however, look like the brightest bull's-eye I've ever seen still." Miki stated.

"I like orange!" Naruto retorted.

"Yeah, sure you do." Miki smirked. "So, where were you off to?"

"Ninja supply store. I gotta get shuriken and kunai for a training mission! I'm not even gonna be here until about three days before the Chunin Exams! I'm way too excited." Naruto said.

"Oh, you're headed there to? I was looking for you and then I was gonna head there to look for a weapon to specialize in. Let's hang out a bit, Fox, I wanna spend as much time with you as I can before you gotta leave. Oh, by the way, I was officially adopted over my training. It was a request from my mentor. I am now named Miki Mitarashi."

"That's some awesome news, Wolf Boy. You'd better start inviting me to family stuff with how close you and me are."

"Of course, Foxy, we're brothers, even if we aren't related by blood, nothing will change the fact that you're my family."

Naruto nodded to Miki as he finished and the two continued on their journey to the supply store, catching up on the other's mission.

* * *

Sasuke walked Konohagakure's streets attempting to find his blonde teammate. Sasuke had begun to notice the looks Naruto received, and he finally wished to know what was wrong with his teammate. Sasuke had seen Naruto's feral state on the bridge just before the features faded. He was also aware he had unlocked the Sharingan.

Sasuke realized Naruto was virtually an enigma to him. His past, while similar, was still vastly different. He and Naruto had both lost family, even if Naruto never knew his. They were both apparently the last of their family, as well, with no relatives. He was warming up to Naruto and could call him a friend. His only friend.

Still searching the street, he was upset he couldn't find the blonde and settled for scouring the city until he was found.

* * *

"Dude, I can't decide, there's too many awesome things here!" Miki said.

"Just pick one already!" Naruto complained.

"You act like this is easy."

"We've been here for a half an hour! Pick a damn weapon!"

The duo had entered the ninja weapon supply store named Higurashi's Ninja Gear. Naruto had restocked his kunai and some shuriken he seemed to have either used or lost, along with opting for ninja wire to test out their strategies. He also bought a few pieces of paper for sealing, should he become interested. However, Miki was a different story.

Miki was currently studying the wall of weapons. There were so many different varieties to choose from. There were kusarigama, swords, kodachi, katanas, maces, bo staffs with and without blades, even great swords. Determining he just didn't know which would suit him, he moved to the register where a girl in a pink shirt and two brown buns of hair stood, a Leaf Headband on her forehead and black shinobi pants on her legs.

"Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to know anything about all these weapons, would you?" Miki asked politely.

"Are you kidding?" The girl questioned, her face one of incredulity. "I know how to wield every weapon here nearly flawlessly, and I can hit a bull's-eye one hundred meters away ten times out of ten."

"Wow, impressive." Miki commented. "Then you wouldn't mind telling me about each of these weapons and how to find one for me."

"Well, you see, there's a little problem right there." The girl said. "You see, it's pretty much trial and error, keep picking them up until one feels right. And believe me, you'll know it feels right when you hold it."

Miki was very confused by now. The girl made it sound like it would be one specific weapon that would catch his eye and send him running for it. While he was sure a weapon wouldn't have that effect on him, he accepted her advice. Asking her to assist him, they proceeded back to the weapon wall. Proceeding through the various weapons, they had little luck, the only weapon there had only slightly felt right was a black handled trench knife.

Nearing the end, the girl's father came to her to talk to her. Though, he did so while carrying a huge weapon: a Scythe, obviously built for combat instead of its customary agricultural use, with three separate blades attached at the top, one below the other on the same side, the two end blades larger than the middle, though each had the same design. The curved blades were a dark, blood red, interrupted by charcoal grey triangles running from edge to edge on the blade, the scythe's handle a deep black.

"TenTen, I'm putting this scythe in storage. It must have been here for years and no one has even shown any interest in it. Ninjas simply have no desire for this blade."

"Alright, father, I'll remember it just in case." The girl, now known to be TenTen, replied.

"Wait! Hold on." Miki said.

Although it could easily have been his imagination, Miki felt as though the weapon was calling to him. It seemed alluring in its sheer elegance. As he neared the man, he took hold of the scythe as his body seemed to react to it. It felt right, like it was waiting for him. The handle was made of a black metal, the tip ended with no ornate topping to it. Miki knew then what he wanted.

"What's it made of, anyway?" Miki asked.

"Well, the entire weapon is made of a special metal which conducts chakra, so those advanced in chakra manipulation can add it to the weapon to make it more deadly, and they can also apply an elemental release onto a weapon in order to further the damage by a drastic amount. This metal is as tough as it comes, as well. The blades are positioned like that in order to give it a wider range of effectiveness. The poll of the weapon has no special blades, so they are needed to ensure a hit should your enemy move inside and away from the far end's blade." Mr. Higurashi explained.

"I'll take it!" He yelled, a smile adorning his face.

TenTen looked at her customer amazed. Just a minute ago, Miki was so unsure of what he wanted to use, and of all things, he chose what could be the most complicated to learn for practical combat. It was really something else.

"Are you serious?!" TenTen's father exclaimed. "That's excellent! Though, uh, I do have to inform you this is not a very conventional weapon, nor is it easy to use. In fact, it's rather difficult."

"It's no problem." Miki said, grinning at the feeling of the scythe in his hands. "If I can't learn some kind of style to use with this, then I'll just make up my own!"

"For some reason, kid, I believe you could do it." TenTen's father said.

Paying for the weapon along with the trench knife from before and a case which slipped over all the scythe blades, the pair exited the store, content with their purchases. Naruto, however, remembered the reason he was at the store in the first place.

"Oh, crud! I forgot! I gotta go Miki, My mission is soon and I gotta pack stuff!" Naruto exclaimed, running toward his rundown apartment.

"No problem!" Miki replied. "Oh, but Naruto! Unzip the jacket. You'd look better with it open."

Nodding, Naruto began running off to his apartment to prepare for the training mission. Miki, however, heard a _Poof! _Just behind him and looked over his shoulder to see a woman there.

"Hey, Anko! What's up?" He greeted heartily.

"That's Anko-_sensei_ to you. I'm here to tell you we got another mission in about forty-five minutes, so meet me at home and start packing, then meet me by the gates. And by the way, nice weapon." Anko said before disappearing in a shunshin.

Taking that as his cue, Miki sprinted back home to start packing once more for yet another mission.

* * *

In a dark, damp sewer, a large yawn echoed through the glistening tunnels. As the Nine-Tailed Fox was roused from his sleep by the sound, a low rumble escaped from his throat. The sound had come from just outside his room, and if his guess was correct, he knew just who made that noise.

**"So, I was right. You were sealed here as well." **He roared.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here you stupid fox." A feminine voice spoke. "This definitely wasn't in the plan, ya know?"

The owner of the voice moved from the hall and stepped into the light. Her violet eyes fixed onto the Fox's deep red ones, Her vibrant red hair swaying slightly as she walked along the murky, flooded sewer floor.

**"Well, Kushina, it seems both our plans did not turn go according to plan." **He roared.

* * *

**A/N: If any mistakes are present, post it along with a review please! I will be working to make this as good a story as possible!**


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